Using TGMD files as Meta source

[Bodders-11]

Hi,
apologies if this question has been asked and answered before, but I have searched and couldn't find anything - so here goes.

Can Mezzmo 2.5.x use Thumbgen meta data files (XML or TGMD) as a source for metadata?

My current metadata is held in 'mymovies.xml' and 'series.xml' which Mezzmo can parse. However I also have a WDTV (Gen3) device. Together with Thumbgen I can produce Movie Sheets that show plot, Genre etc. The problem is one of maintaining all 3 data sources - i.e. mymovies.xml, Thumbgen info and keeping Mezzmo instep! I would like to drop mymovies.xml and just keep the other 2. However when I tried pointing Mezzmo to a folder containing ONLY WDTV info, Mezzmo didn't pickup any info. It did identify the length of the video, but I suspect that was ffmpeg analysing the file.

Thanks
Bodders

[Paul]

Mezzmo does find and read ThumbGen <filename>.tgmd files when you add your video files into your Mezzmo Library or when you maintain your Mezzmo library. Mezzmo will parse these associated .tgmd files and extract the artwork and text metadata such as year, title, genre, director and actors. Example: c:\video\inception.mkv and c:\video\inception.tgmd.

Tip: Make sure you do not have any other associated .XML files in the folder (such as mymovies.xml, <filename>.xml, <filename>.nfo) as Mezzmo may find these first and use them instead of your .tgmd file.

[Bodders-11]

Paul,
I still cannot get Mezzmo to read TGMD files (or even <filename>.xml). :-(. Could it be that Thumbgen uses a slightly different XML schema compared to 'mymovies.xml?

As an example I have an MP4 of 'A Man For All Seasons'. After Scanning, I have an entry in the Folders view as per the attached screen shot(253. The information is strictly deribed from the MP4 and not from the meta file that are in the folder e.g. The date is when the file was created and there are no Genres. However in the same folder as the MP4 I have both an XML (a man for all seasons-1.mp4) and a TGMD (a man for all seasons-1.mp4.tgmd) - yet neither file's contents appear to have been read by Mezzmo.

I've enabled logging and the only entry for this movie is:-
4021 - Apr 19 06:39:42.667 - (1334813982.667) - [00] - <00> - > FFmpeg: Getting information for: E:\Video\Movies\Classics\A Man For All Seasons\a man for all seasons-1.mp4
4022 - Apr 19 06:39:43.362 - (1334813983.362) - [00] - <00> - FILE > Updating E:\Video\Movies\Classics\A Man For All Seasons\a man for all seasons-1.mp4
4023 - Apr 19 06:39:43.364 - (1334813983.364) - [00] - <00> - FILE > Updating artwork
4024 - Apr 19 06:39:43.364 - (1334813983.364) - [00] - <00> - FILE > Removing


FYI The XML is as follows, with the TGMD containing an identical NFO meta file:-
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<details>
<title>A Man for All Seasons</title>
<originaltitle>A Man for All Seasons</originaltitle>
<overview>A Man for All Seasons is the filmed version of the life of Thomas More. An English man comes to Sir Thomas More to ask if he can divorce his wife since King Henry VIII has made it illegal. Sir Tomas More stands up in opposition to the King even though he knows he’s risking his own life. An award winning film from 1966.</overview>
<year>1966-12-12</year>
<plot>A Man for All Seasons is the filmed version of the life of Thomas More. An English man comes to Sir Thomas More to ask if he can divorce his wife since King Henry VIII has made it illegal. Sir Tomas More stands up in opposition to the King even though he knows he’s risking his own life. An award winning film from 1966.</plot>
<runtime>120</runtime>
<trailer>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbZfh-5QsAw</trailer>
<rating>8.0</rating>
<mpaa>TV-PG</mpaa>
<imdb_id>tt0060665</imdb_id>
<mpaa>TV-PG</mpaa>
<genre>Drama</genre>
<genre>Foreign</genre>
<genre>History</genre>
<actor>
<name>Paul Scofield</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Wendy Hiller</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Leo McKern</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Robert Shaw</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Orson Welles</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Susannah York</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Nigel Davenport</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>John Hurt</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Corin Redgrave</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Colin Blakely</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Cyril Luckham</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Jack Gwillim</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Thomas Heathcote</name>
</actor>
<actor>
<name>Vanessa Redgrave</name>
</actor>
<director>Fred Zinnemann</director>
<studio>Highland Films</studio>
<backdrop>a man for all seasons-1.mp4_sheet.jpg</backdrop>
<url cache="tmdb-.xml" function="GetTMDBThumbsById" />
<prevtitle>a man for all seasons-1.mp4</prevtitle>
<prevgenre>N/A</prevgenre>
</details>

Cheers
Bodders

[Paul]

For TGMD files, Mezzmo is looking for the <movie> tag in your TGMD file (rather than the <details> tag in your XML sample). Did you generate your TGMD file with ThumbGen? TGMD files are binary files that contain the artwork image(s) and XML metadata.
For NFO files, Mezzmo is looking for the <movie> or <episodedetails> or <musicvideo> or <tvshow> in your NFO file (rather than the <details> tag in your XML sample).
For mymovies.xml or <filename>.XML files, Mezzmo is looking for the <title> tag in your XML file (rather than the <details> tag in your XML sample).
For series.xml or episode files, Mezzmo is looking for the <series> or <item> tag in your series.xml file or episode file (rather than the <details> tag in your XML sample).

[Bodders-11]

Paul,
I generated the TGMD file with the latest version of Thumgen (1.2.10). TGMD files are ZIP files - rename to a ZIP extension and Windows 7 can open them and display the contents within.
The XML component within has an NFO extension, but it is, as you say, standard XML.

I suspect the problem is that Thumbgen is able to generate meta data files for a number of devices and the XML required for WDTV devices means that it is NOT compatible with Mezzmo. When Thumgen is set up you have to explicitly state the XML compatibility required.

I suspect therefore, that the options open to me are :-
1. Maintain 2 sets of metadata files (mymovies.xml and WDTV-compatible XML from Thumbgen)
2. Stick with mymovies.xml and configure the WDTV device to act as a Client to the Mezzmo server - means that my PC needs to be always running and I don't get the 'offline custom moviesheet' capability
3. Switch to Thumbgen metadata and use Mezzmo's Folder views to locate media i.e. no Smart playlists etc

I know that I could use Mezzmo's built-in meta data option, but this is effectively option 1 by another guise - an dthe sheer hassle of having to do everything twice is so off-putting.

I'll probably adopt #3 and see how it goes :-)

C'est La Vie

Bodders

[Paul]

You forgot one other option:

4. The Mezzmo developers add support for the Thumbgen TGMD format that you mention

We'll do that (#4) and have it in the next Mezzmo v2.6 version that we are preparing now (planned for release next week) :cool:

[Bodders-11]

:D

.....and the moral of this is 'You don't always have to ask, before you can get'

Thanks :-)

Do you have the full details of the XML structure, or would you like me to send you some fully populated sample files?

Bodders

[Paul]

Mezzmo v2.6 has been released today. It includes the updated ThumbGen TGMD metadata processing. Let us know if that works better.

[Bodders-11]

Er No. It hasn't.
I've done a fresh install of v2.6 and not an upgrade (PC was rebuilt 2 weeks ago and I waited for 2.6 to come out). All of my movies and TV shows now have WDTV meta data generated by Thumghen. Art work shows as this is the same name of the media file - different extension. However when I open Properties in Mezzmo, everything is blank apart from 'Title' and year (which is derived from the file creation date). I attach a screenshot of the Properties window.261.

The Title has been derived from the File name as looking at TV shows that are of the form '<series>-SnEn-<episodename>.mkv', the Title is shows as the file name less the extension.

Bodders

[Paul]

That is strange. Can you send us one of your ThumbGen Files? Zip one and send it to us at support [at] conceiva [dot] com. We'll fix this up so Mezzmo does read them properly.

[Bodders-11]

I've sent a couple of sample files covering a Film and a TV Series Episode. If you need anymore just ask.

Bodders

[Paul]

Thanks. We'll check it out and post back with the results.

[givitup2E]

Curious to hear any results. I would like to use moviesheets with Mezzmo too. I guess more exactly what I would like is to be able to view the metadata that I have stored from either XML a wdtvlivehub generates, a program WDTVHubGen generates, or shows the metadata Mezzmo collects. Basically want to have a read up of a movie as I scroll thru. Another cool option that my Hubs have are the ability to go fetch the trailers for movies from Youtube. That doesnt show up as an option when I am viewing with Mezzmo.

[Paul]

Mezzmo v2.6.7.0 currently supports reading from the following metadata files - movie.xml, mymovies.xml, ThumbGen .tgmd files, XBMC .nfo/.tbn files, series.xml, <episode>.xml, folder.jpg/.png, <filename>.xml, <filename>.jpg/.png and Sony .modd files. Mezzmo server delivers this metadata to devices via DLNA and then it is up to each device's firmware to display this information that it receives from Mezzmo server. Some devices are limited to just show the title, whereas other devices show more information such as artist, album, genre and artwork.

[givitup2E]

Just so I am clear, its my WDTV Live Plus box that can not display the info that Mezzmo is sending it? Or is it just I am doing something wrong, or something I haven't enabled as of yet?

[Paul]

Just so I am clear, its my WDTV Live Plus box that can not display the info that Mezzmo is sending it? Or is it just I am doing something wrong, or something I haven't enabled as of yet?

It's your WD TV Live Plus that is not displaying the information that Mezzmo is sending it.

[givitup2E]

It's your WD TV Live Plus that is not displaying the information that Mezzmo is sending it.

Can't it at all or I just don't have it set up right?

[Paul]

Can't it at all or I just don't have it set up right?

From my understanding, it cannot at all via DLNA streaming. It's a limitation in the WD TV Live firmware.